1. Field
The present embodiments relate to techniques for monitoring supercapacitors. More specifically, the present embodiments relate to a method and system for detecting and managing leaks in supercapacitors.
2. Related Art
Supercapacitors typically provide higher energy density than normal capacitors and a greater number of charge-discharge cycles than rechargeable batteries. For example, a supercapacitor may have a capacitance of several farads and may last through millions of charge-discharge cycles, compared with tens of millifarads for a comparably sized electrolytic capacitor and a few hundred charge-discharge cycles for a rechargeable battery. As a result, supercapacitors may be used in applications that bridge the gap between capacitors and batteries. For example, supercapacitors may be used in automotive systems as replacements for batteries in hybrid or electric cars. Along the same lines, a computer system may include supercapacitors to power the transfer of data from volatile memory to nonvolatile memory when the computer system is disconnected from a power source.
However, supercapacitors may be associated with a higher risk of fire than common capacitors. In particular, the increased energy density of a supercapacitor is often provided by a flammable electrolyte within the supercapacitor. If the electrolyte leaks from the supercapacitor, the electrolyte may ignite and cause a fire that damages components near the supercapacitor and/or the system containing the capacitor. For example, a supercapacitor may leak electrolyte onto a printed circuit board (PCB) in a computer system and create a short circuit that causes a fire in the computer system and in nearby computer systems.
Hence, what is needed is a mechanism for reducing the flammability risk associated with supercapacitors.